It seems that every award season there will be
at least a few films having to do with the Holocaust, from both Hollywood and various
entries into Best Foreign Language Film category. This year it seems to be the
Hungarian drama Son of Saul which is
receiving the most attention, though Germany’s submission in the
category has similar interests. Labyrinth
of Lies makes a convincing argument for the widespread ignorance about the
wartime atrocities by the German public, or at least an unwillingness to
remember by those who were aware. Though it may have been more effective with
more courtroom suspense than personal anguish from the protagonist, Labyrinth of Lies provides a respectful
record of events for Germany
fifteen years after World War II.

In 1958, there
were many young Germans who had never even heard of Auschwitz,
among them a young prosecutor named Johann Radmann (Alexander Fehling). This is
a primary reason for his appointment by Frankfurt’s
attorney general, Fritz Bauer (Gert Voss) to a case against a schoolteacher
identified as a former guard of the notorious concentration camp. Once Radmann
begins to investigate, he discovers the schoolteacher is just the tip of the
iceberg. These discoveries would eventually lead to the 1963 “Auschwitz
trial,” but Labyrinth of Lies remains
focused on the years and working leading up to it. This is much more of a film
about the emotional journey Radmann must take in accepting the unpleasant
effects of uncovering an ugly truth.

Wisely, Guilio
Ricciarelli refrains from showing any flashbacks of actual Auschwitz
atrocities, instead allowing the stories and strong performances to carry the
images into the mind of the viewer. This is where the impact of the film’s core
remains, but thankfully we are given reprieve with lighter sub-plots. It also
doesn’t hurt that Germany in the late 1950s was a lot like America during the
same era; idealistically presented as a contrast to the secrets hiding
underneath the polished surface. Some might argue that this lightens a subject
which should have no reprieve, or that Labyrinth
of Lies resembles the contrivances of a Hollywood
message movie, but it is just a different approach to a familiar subject
matter. If you don’t care for this representation, there are sure to be a whole
new batch of Holocaust films by next year.

The Blu-ray
release includes a commentary track with director Giulio Ricciarelli and actor
Alexander Fehling, along with their Q&A session from the LA Jewish Film
Festival. Also includes in the extras are a handful of deleted scenes.